Penguins are aquatic flightless birds living in the southern hemisphere especially in Antartica. They are highly adapted for life in the water, their wings have become flippers! Most penguins eat krill, fish, squid, and other animals underwater. They spend half of their lives in land and half in the oceans.  They are not only found in cold climates such as Antartica, in fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. One species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The Emperor penguin is the largest living species, The adults average about 1.1m tall and weigh 35 kg or more. The smallest species is called the little blue penguin. which is 40 cm tall and weighs 1kg. The smallest penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates, while the largest penguins are generally found in the colder regions. But there are exceptions!!

These pictures are funny, and penguins are very beautiful animals. When I saw these images I decided that penguins are extraordinary when they are swimming. Penguins are famous animals widely regarded as cute and lots of people adore them… there are lot’s of documentaries and movies about them!

Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4, Photo5, Photo6, Photo7, Photo8, Photo9, Photo10, Photo11, Photo12, Photo13, Photo14

And who said that I’m wrong?

I have bathed myself and bathed the duck!

Hot girl…

I’m a cool guy!

We’re gangsters

Cheer! Hawaii’s waiting for us!

We’re a perfect couple!

Yoda

I’m a bee!

I’ll save the world!

I keep the order

Wow! You can look right through me!

Handyman about the house

Don’t get any peace

Bright lights big city

Light and airy

Just hanging out

Check out my wheels

That’s just grate

Sculptural style

Ready to make a fast exit

Staying connected

Easy to contact

Morbid fascination

Prickly temperament

That’s just rubbish

Source

Coolidge later moved to New York where he started his career as an artist and commenced painting dogs in various human situations. The dogs playing poker is one of his most famous paintings and he has painted other dog paintings as well showing dogs on a commuter, a ball park and even a train. When a work of art is used for advertisement purposes then it always is like clinching gold for the artist. The same thing happened for Coolidge and the very first takers of his dog paintings were the cigar companies. These companies were looking for unique yet compelling ways of advertisement to sell their products and dogs depicting humans in Coolidge’s paintings appealed to them.

In 1903, Coolidge signed a contract with the cigar giant Brown and Bigelow to paint a series of paintings of dogs in many human situations and scenarios. From the entire set of 16, nine of the paintings showed dogs seated around a poker table and enjoying the poker games. The cigar company made copies of the painting and gave them as give-aways. They used the paintings extensively to advertise their cigars and the paintings were a hit among the customers, who loved the novel way in which the dogs were depicted in human scenarios. Seeing dogs on advertisement pamphlets or print ads was a far cry from seeing the product being promoted through the same old models.

From them on there was no looking back for these paintings as they were printed and used on every kind of item from calendars, notebooks, mouse pads, pens and other stationary to T shirts and even shoes. These paintings have even been used by online casino games as a unique way to promote their poker games. Coolidge would have definitely made a fortune in today’s standards because two of his dog series paintings were auctioned at jaw dropping prices at an auction held in 2005.

Source

I have put together some pictures that I thought were truly worth a watch.

Mother Nature didn’t stop with the family pet and animals on the local farm though. There are thousands, if not millions, of species out there in the world that seem rather odd to us, and we’re still discovering more! Let’s step away from the norm today and explore some of Mother Nature’s misfits through this collection of strange and unusual members of the animal world. Whether cute or kind of creepy, you’re sure to find something new.

1. Aye-aye

There’s something completely strange but still absolutely adorable about the aye-aye. Found in Madagascar, they have faces that look like a cross between a bat and a young bear. They’re actually Madagascar’s most endangered mammal (poor little things) due to deforestation. While they’re actually primates, they share something other than their face with bats — they use echolocation to help them find food.

2. Star-Nosed Mole

The star-nosed mole is a creature that looks like it almost wants to be cute and cuddly, but which still looks like something out of a horror flick. With a flared-open star-like nose that makes it look like it has an octopus mounted to its face and claws that look almost skeletal, I wouldn’t want to stumble across one of these oddball animals. Then again, if I were basically blind I probably wouldn’t mind a freakish nose (wouldn’t have to see it) as long as the sense of smell helped me to survive.

3. Blobfish

Why is it that the freakiest of Mother Nature’s misfits seem to live in water? Here’s another creepy and odd-looking fish — the blobfish. Thankfully they’re only found around Australia, so I don’t have to worry about running into one of these squishy gelatinous-looking things when in the water. Whew! When you look at them head-on they almost have a human-like nose that makes them look all the creepier. I’m not sure what Mother Nature was thinking when she created the blobfish. Maybe she lost a bet.

4. Pelochelys Cantorii

I like turtles. In fact the hill I grew up on was known as Turtle Hill because we had so many. These turtles aren’t ones I’d want to touch or take home though. The large soft-shell turtles live in fresh water, and spend most of their time buried. I don’t know about you, but to me a turtle just isn’t a turtle without a hard little shell and a gorgeous pattern. These ones are monotone. Just the thought of feeling a soft shell makes me cringe, but I guess if that’s all the protection they need, who am I to argue with Mother Nature?

5. Sloth

Do you know what I love most about the sloth? They look so happy and perky. Don’t they? They look like teddy bears mated with monkeys and got high. They live in South and Central America, where they spend much of their time hanging upside down in trees. In fact, they rarely come out of the trees at all. But if they did, wouldn’t you just want to hug them?

6. Female Angler Fish

If there was ever an oddball in the aquatic world, the female angler fish would be it. Not only does it look like something out of a child’s nightmare, but she lives up to her horrific look when it comes to how the fish reproduce. Here’s the gist: Eventually the male can’t feed without essentially becoming a parasite of a female. He finds one by picking up her scent. The male bites into one of these lovely ladies and they’re fused together (gross enough, right?). He then proceeds to die, leaving behind nothing more than his magnificent little “man parts.” She gets his sperm. She can reproduce. I’m not sure how happy she is with the arrangement, but hey, whatever works.

7. Proboscis Monkey

Let’s get back to the cute and cuddly side of things with the next of Mother Nature’s misfits — the proboscis monkey. How adorable are they? The interesting feature of the proboscis monkey is obviously the schnoz. Their noses almost make them look cartoonish — well, for the males at least. Apparently females are attracted by the huge protruding noses (oh if only big-nosed humans were as lucky, right?).

Unfortunately the proboscis monkey is another endangered species. Despite being natural climbers and swimmers and being smart enough to travel in groups to avoid being preyed upon by crocodiles when crossing rivers, Mother Nature just isn’t cutting these little cuties a break. As with many endangered species, the proboscis monkey is nearing extinction due to logging and other destruction of its native habitat.

8. Lithogenes Wahari

This interesting variety of catfish is both an armored catfish and a type of climbing catfish. Only recently were scientists able to find plentiful specimens of this Venezuelan native. Because these catfish live in rapidly flowing water, generally in rocky areas, they have an unusual feature. They not only have a suction-style mouth but also two fins in the pelvic area. These features help the catfish climb vertically up rocks. The adaptation allows the fish to move up streams despite heavy currents, and to climb when needed to adjust to changing water levels.

9. Mexican Walking Fish

Okay. While not all strange and unusual creatures are ugly or creepy this thing certainly is! Fish give me the willies to begin with, but at least they’re confined to the water. But a fish with legs! Uh oh. I sense nightmares of fish chasing me on land coming. Ewwww.

It’s time to be fair now. These little guys aren’t actually fish at all — they’re a type of salamander (which doesn’t make them any less cringe-worthy). The carnivorous little creatures are officially called axolotls, and as their common name implies they’re native to Mexico. Sadly they’re endangered (and as disgusting as I might think they are, I certainly don’t wish that on any species). You’d think that since they can regenerate their own body parts, they’d be better at this survival game. Apparently not — the introduction of non-native fish to their diminishing natural habitat is proving too much for them.

10. Okapi

As strange as the okapi might look (it appears to be some kind of cross between a zebra and chestnut horse, but with an unusually large neck), it sure is cute isn’t it? Not all strange animals have to be freaky or ugly or downright scary looking. That long neck we talked about is a reminder that the okapi isn’t actually tied to horses or zebras. It’s in the giraffe family!

Found in the dense forests of the Congo, this herbivore jungle giraffe can live to be over 30 years old and grow to over 500 pounds. Can’t make it to the jungle to see an okapi for yourself? They can also be found in numerous zoos around the world. Say it with me now: Awwwwww!

Source

This pictures present some animals which enjoy in that

If you share your home with a kitty, you know that sinks, sills, boxes, suitcases, planterboxes and windowseats are but a few of the places that cats curl up and nap. Check out some of the other ridiculously odd spots that our favorite felines hang their hats for a quick catnap.

This lucky  cat  gets a very special visit almost every  morning from his very dear best friend deer…

A Mother’s love is something
that no on can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendoured miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God’s tender guiding hand.

Rosie Catford, owner of Wildlives, which normally takes in sick and injured wild animals, said: ‘She was sick so we had to keep her near to the house during the day so we could keep an eye on her. ‘Before long she had become friendly with Henry the puppy. When she first came in four weeks ago she was smaller than him, now she’s twice the size. She loves to play with the dogs when she’s not foraging for acorns and hazelnuts. She jumps around and chases sticks just like they do. It looks quite ridiculous but it seems so natural to her.  And when they are worn out they all cuddle together and sleep in the meadow. It’s lovely to see.’ The unlikely friendship has echoes of Dick King-Smith’s novel The Sheep-Pig which became a hit move in 1995.

The charming tale follows Babe the pig’s quest to become a champion sheep dog for his owner Farmer Hoggett.Prudence is a cross between a large white and a Duroc pig and is expected to live for up to 10 years. Despite normally treating wild animals the playful porcine has become a favourite at the rescue centre in Thorrington, Essex, and will not be re-homed.Mrs Catford said: ‘The volunteers felt so sorry for the piglet – I couldn’t really say no.’It was in a terrible state. It was the runt of the litter and it had terrible skin problems. A volunteer and I gave her a medicated bath. Well, the noise was amazing. The volunteer is a Red Cap in the army and has been out to Afghanistan and Iraq. She said bathing the piglet was more noisy than the bombs going off there.She was going to be shot and if not shot then slaughtered. But she’s here for good now. We literally saved her bacon.’

Blacky arrived to Zoo trough Vuk Bojovic. He was seeking surrogate mother for baby panther. She was at first all snappy and treated baby panther as ‘ugly duckling’ – says Mirjana Makevic, proud owner of this champion husky mother.

Once she got accustomed to baby panther, Blacky was guarding her and caring for her as if she was her own pup. They nibble on mother’s paws, and chase her tail. In turn, mother growls at strangers, protecting her babies. “

The odd-looking bird had been spotted in the grounds of Dover Castle in Kent and being fed by its parents, which both have the more common black and white colouring of magpies.

But although its bright white plumage might make it an easy target for predators, magpies are well known for holding their own and experts say this bird’s albino colouring will not be a disadvantage.

The photographs were taken by amateur photographer Brian Hopper who waited two weeks before getting a clean shot of the bird.

Mr Hopper, 46, from Dover, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it, it stood out like a sore thumb but was very shy because it returned to the tree canopy and I didn’t see it again.

“Over the next two weeks I kept going back time and again and I got the odd glimpse of it but not enough to take pictures. Then it broke cover with its parents.

“He looked perfectly healthy and chipper and was full of noise. I’m not sure if he couldn’t see properly because he was a bit clumsy at landing.”

Graham Madge, spokesman for the RSPB, said there is no reason why the magpie couldn’t live a normal life although he was not sure if it would be shunned by others.

He said: “It is a very unusual condition. It’s hard to tell if this bird is an albino or if it is suffering from an acute case of leucism, which reduces an animal’s skin pigmentation.

“This bird is just as likely to do as well as any other magpie, although it would be interesting to see if it shunned by other magpies because of its colour.

“Magpies are very social and conspicous birds so it shouldn’t matter if this one sticks out a bit more than the rest.”

The motto ‘Come To The Zoo Before The Zoo Comes To You’ is brought by a dog
which apparently became a crocodile’s lunch with half of its body put into the mouth of a crocodile.

The end results of the promotion yielded a 15% increase in attendance compared to an average month.

I’m not so sure if the dog would be so happy to drag a crocodile lower part for so many days though but still applaud it for a creative effort.

If you like dog costumes you can find more here, here and here. 1 more pic after the jump.

The first part shows abandoned tiger cubs nursed by a pig at the zoo in China. They are most probably to be separated once their milk dependency on the sow is depleted. The cubs were rejected by their mother and the cubs rejected bottle feeding therefore the zoo caretakers took to the resort of adopting them to a sow which accepts her three new sons.

For the second part, there has been a collection of photos of the touching Sai Mai the tigress and her six piglets at a zoo in Thailand but this video footage shows even deeper of their bond. The reason why Sai Mai readily accepted the piglets as family was because it suckled as a cub from a sow and grew up with a litter of piglets.